"of Brabant, which held the city of Brussels. In 1995, Brabant was split into three areas: Flemish Brabant, which became a part of the region of Flanders; Walloon Brabant, which became part of the region of Wallonia; and the Brussels-Capital Region, which became a third region. These divisions reflected political tensions between the French-speaking Walloons and the Dutch-speaking Flemish; the Brussels-Capital Region is officially bilingual. The division into provinces is fixed by Article 5 of the Belgian Constitution. The provinces are subdivided into 43 administrative arrondissements, and further into 589 municipalities. The medieval Low Countries, including present-day Belgium, the Netherlands"
"Belgian French Belgian French () is the variety of French spoken mainly among the French Community of Belgium, alongside related Oïl languages of the region such as Walloon, Picard, Champenois and Lorrain (Gaumais). The French language spoken in Belgium differs very little from that of France or Switzerland. It is characterized by the use of some terms that are considered archaic in France, as well as loanwords from languages such as Walloon, Picard and Dutch. French is one of the three official languages of Belgium alongside Dutch and German. It is spoken natively by around 39% of the population, primarily"
"German-speaking Community of Belgium The German-speaking Community of Belgium ( , DG; ; ) or Eastern Belgium (; ; ) is one of the three federal communities of Belgium. Covering an area of within the province of Liège () in Wallonia, it includes nine of the eleven municipalities of East Cantons (). Traditionally speakers of Low Dietsch, Ripuarian and Moselle Franconian varieties, the local population numbers over 75,000—about 0.70% of the national total. Bordering the Netherlands, Germany and Luxembourg, the area has its own parliament and government at Eupen. Although in the Belgian province of Luxembourg many of the inhabitants"
"Walloons Walloons (; , ; ) are a Romance ethnic people native to Belgium, principally its southern region of Wallonia, who speak French and Walloon. Walloons are a distinctive ethnic community within Belgium. Important historical and anthropological criteria (religion, language, traditions, folklore) bind Walloons to the French people. More generally, the term is also extended to refer to the inhabitants of the Walloon region in general, regardless of ethnicity or descent. Besides French and Walloon, a minority of Walloons also speak various regional Romance languages and dialects such as Picard and Lorrain. Walloons are described as being descendants of Gallo-Romans"
"Flemish people The Flemish or Flemings (; ) are a Germanic ethnic group native to Flanders, in modern Belgium, who speak Flemish, but (mostly) use the Dutch written language. They are one of two principal ethnic groups in Belgium, the other being the French-speaking Walloons. Flemish people make up the majority of the Belgian population (about 60%). Historically, all inhabitants of the medieval County of Flanders were referred to as ""Flemings"", irrespective of the language spoken. The contemporary region of Flanders comprises a part of this historical county, as well as parts of the medieval duchy of Brabant and the"
"French Community of Belgium In Belgium, the French Community (; ) refers to one of the three constituent constitutional linguistic communities. Since 2011, the French Community has used the name Wallonia-Brussels Federation (), which is controversial because its name in the Belgian constitution has not changed and because it is seen as a political statement. The name ""French Community"" refers to Francophone Belgians, and ""not"" to French people residing in Belgium. As such, the French Community of Belgium is sometimes rendered in English as ""the French-speaking Community of Belgium"" for clarity. The Community has its own parliament, government, and administration."
"Dutch), although French is the dominant language of the population. Belgium's linguistic diversity and related political conflicts are reflected in its political history and complex system of governance, made up of six different governments. Historically, Belgium was part of an area known as the Low Countries, a somewhat larger region than the current Benelux group of states that also included parts of northern France and western Germany. Its name is derived from the Latin word ""Belgica"", after the Roman province of Gallia Belgica. From the end of the Middle Ages until the 17th century, the area of Belgium was a"
"Belgians Belgians (, , ) are people identified with the Kingdom of Belgium, a federal state in Western Europe. As Belgium is a multinational state, this connection may be residential, legal, historical, or cultural rather than ethnic. The majority of Belgians, however, belong to two distinct ethnic groups or ""communities"" ( or ) native to the country, i.e. its historical regions: Flemings in Flanders, who speak Dutch and Walloons in Wallonia who speak French or Walloon. There is also a substantial Belgian diaspora, which has settled primarily in the United States, Canada, France and Netherlands. The 1830 revolution led to"
"Dutch-speaking part of Belgium, French has never ceased to be spoken by some citizens and Jewish groups have been speaking Yiddish in Antwerp for centuries. Today, Flanders' minority residents include 170 nationalities — the largest groups speaking French, English, Berber, Turkish, Arabic, Spanish, Italian and Polish. When Julius Caesar conquered the area he described it as the less economically developed and more warlike part of ""Gallia Belgica"". His informants told him that especially in the east, the tribes claimed ancestral connections and kinship with the ""Germanic"" peoples then east of the Rhine. Under the Roman empire the whole of ""Gallia"
"Flemish Flemish (""Vlaams"") also called Flemish Dutch (""Vlaams-Nederlands""), Belgian Dutch (""Belgisch-Nederlands"" ), or Southern Dutch (""Zuid-Nederlands""), is a Lower Franconian / Dutch dialect. It is spoken in the whole northern region of Belgium as well as French Flanders and the Dutch Zeelandic Flanders by approximately 6.5 million people. The term is used in at least five ways. These are: Multitree considers Flemish to include the four principal Dutch dialects in the Flemish region (Flanders): Brabantian, East Flemish, West Flemish and Limburgish as well as three others dialects. . Glottolog considers Flemish to be separate (regional) language, which includes the dialects"
"Belgae The Belgae () were a large Gallic-Germanic confederation of tribes living in northern Gaul, between the English Channel, the west bank of the Rhine, and northern bank of the river Seine, from at least the third century BC. They were discussed in depth by Julius Caesar in his account of his wars in Gaul. Some peoples in Britain were also called Belgae and O'Rahilly equated them with the Fir Bolg in Ireland. The Belgae gave their name to the Roman province of Gallia Belgica and, much later, to the modern country of Belgium; today ""Belgae"" is also Latin for"
"Dutch-speaking Belgians or Flemings (about 59% of the population who live in the north of the country), French-speaking Belgians or Walloons (about 40% of the population who live in the south), and German speaking Belgians (about 1% of the population who live in the east). At present, Belgium is a federation with two different divisions of authority: there is a Belgian Federal Government, the territory is divided into three Communities on a linguistic basis (Flemish, Walloon and German-speaking), and concurrent with this division also exists another one, the Regions (Flanders, Wallonia and the Brussels-Capital Region). So one is part of"
"Fagne (natural region) The Fagne or la Fagne () is a natural region in southern Belgium and northern France, sometimes grouped with Famenne as Fagne-Famenne. It should not be confused with the High Fens (), which are further east and straddle the border of Belgium and Germany. The word ""Fagne"" comes from the Walloon language, and means 'swampy ground'. This term comes from the Old Low Franconian *""fanja"" 'mud', in turn coming from the Gothic ""fani"" 'mud'. The English term 'fen' is a cognate. The Haute Fagnes in eastern Belgium share the same etymology. The Fagne is mostly in the"
"Franks in Belgium and the Netherlands evolved into Old Dutch (), which formed the beginning of a separate Dutch language and is synonymous with Old Dutch. Compare the near-synonymous usage, in a linguistic context, of Old English versus Anglo-Saxon. Frisii were an ancient tribe who lived in the coastal area of the Netherlands in Roman times. They left the land abandoned due to deteriorating climate conditions. Anglo-Saxons, coming from the east, repopulated the region. Franks in the south, who were familiar with Roman texts, called the coastal region Frisia, and hence its inhabitants ""Frisians"", even though they had no ancestry"
"Cerfontaine, Rance, Trélon and Solre-le-Château. Fagne (natural region) The Fagne or la Fagne () is a natural region in southern Belgium and northern France, sometimes grouped with Famenne as Fagne-Famenne. It should not be confused with the High Fens (), which are further east and straddle the border of Belgium and Germany. The word ""Fagne"" comes from the Walloon language, and means 'swampy ground'. This term comes from the Old Low Franconian *""fanja"" 'mud', in turn coming from the Gothic ""fani"" 'mud'. The English term 'fen' is a cognate. The Haute Fagnes in eastern Belgium share the same etymology. The"
"of the Walloon Region. They may speak regional languages such as ""Walloon"" (with ""Picard"" in the West and Lorrain in the South). Though roughly three-quarters of Belgium's French speakers live in Wallonia, it is important to note that French-speaking residents of Brussels tend not to identify as Walloons. The German-speaking Community of Belgium is one of the three constitutionally recognized federal communities of Belgium. Covering an area of less than 1,000 km within the province of Liège in Wallonia, it includes nine of the eleven municipalities of the so-called East Cantons and the local population numbers over 73,000 — less"
"of Antwerps, French Flemish, West Flemish, East Flemish and Limburgish.. Ethnologue considers Limburgish and West Flemish as separate (regional) languages. The combined region, culture, and people of Flemish-speaking Belgium region, culture and people has come to be known as ""Flanders"". Dutch is the majority language in northern Belgium, being used in written language by three-fifths of the population of Belgium. It is one of the three national languages of Belgium, together with French and German, and is the only official language of the Flemish Region. The various Dutch dialects spoken in Belgium contain a number of lexical and a good"
"the ""Francophonie"" commonwealth. This is complicated by the federal structure of Belgium, which splits Belgium into three communities with the privilege of using their own tongues in official correspondence, but also into three autonomous regions. The communities are: French community (though not Walloon, but sometimes controversially called ""Wallonia-Brussels""), Flemish community (which uses Dutch), and German-speaking community. The division into political regions does not correspond with the communities: Flemish Region, Walloon Region (including the German community but generally called Wallonia), and the bilingual (French-Dutch) Brussels-Capital Region. Many non-French-speaking observers (over)generalize ""Walloons"" as a term of convenience for all Belgian French-speakers (even"
"in Belgium. Arguments before the courts, and the announcement of verdicts, are conducted in French. Laws and regulations were published in French and German from 1816, but since 1945, only in French. Forêts Forêts was a department of the French First Republic, and later the First French Empire, in present-day Belgium, Luxembourg, and Germany. Its name, meaning 'forests', comes from the Ardennes forests. It was formed on 24 October 1795, after the Southern Netherlands had been annexed by France on 1 October. Before the occupation, the territory was part of the Duchy of Luxembourg and the Duchy of Bouillon. Its"
"Belgium includes 4.5 million people, of whom: French speakers who live in the Flemish Region are not included in the official numbers for the French-speaking Community, since the French Community has no jurisdiction in that region. Their number is unknown, given the absence of sub-nationality status and the discouragement of linguistic criteria in census-taking. Estimates of the French-speaking population of Flanders vary from 120,000, around 200,000, to around 300,000. The French Community of Belgium makes up about 41% of the total population of Belgium; 58% of the population belongs to the Flemish Community, and 1% to the German-speaking Community. For"
"Famenne Famenne is a natural region in southern Belgium. Together with The Fagne or la Fagne, west of the river Meuse, it is part of the Fagne-Famenne natural region. The two regions are often grouped together because they are quite similar both geographically and naturally. ""Famenne"" comes from the word ""famine"" (the same in French), implying a relatively poor area. Alternative etymology: From Peremani, a Germanic tribe Famenne is mostly in the provinces of Namur and Luxembourg in Wallonia in southern Belgium. Its northeastern tip extends into the province of Liège. It is bounded on the west by the river"
"by most Belgians regardless of the language they speak, as well as differences between the main cultural communities: the Dutch-speaking Flemish and the French-speakers Walloons. The Flemish draw intensively from both the English-speaking culture (which dominates sciences, professional life and most news media) and the Netherlands, while French-speakers focus on cultural life in France and elsewhere in the French-speaking world, and less outside. Today, the Brussels-Capital Region is primarily French speaking, but is quite bilingual, and is also a cosmopolitan place. There is also a small German speaking community in the East of the country. Women's rights in Belgium have"
"Belgian Eifel The Belgian Eifel (, Luxembourgish: ""Belscher Äifel"") in the German-speaking part of Belgium generally refers to the southern part of the German-speaking community which forms the Canton of Sankt Vith (German: ""Kanton Sankt Vith""; French: ""Canton de Saint-Vit""). According to this definition the municipalities of Amel, Büllingen, Burg-Reuland, Bütgenbach and Sankt Vith belong to the Belgian Eifel.This very rural area is very sparsely populated, unlike the northern part of the German-speaking community, Eupen Land. However, the term Belgian Eifel can also refer more generally to that part of the North and West Eifel that lies within Belgium. The"
"Flemish Region The Flemish Region (, ; ) is one of the three regions of the Kingdom of Belgium—alongside the Walloon Region and the Brussels-Capital Region. Colloquially, it is usually simply referred to as ""Flanders"". It occupies the northern part of Belgium and covers an area of 13,522 km (44.29% of Belgium). It is one of the most densely populated regions of Europe with around 480 inhabitants per square kilometer. The Flemish Region should not be confused with the Flemish community: the latter encompasses both the inhabitants of the Flemish Region and the Dutch-speaking minority living in the Brussels Capital-Region."
"Community in 1990. Western Belgium has its core area in France, stretching into the western part of Wallonia. Champenois was also legally recognized in 1990. It is mainly spoken in Champagne, France, and a small part of Wallonia. Like the other indigenous languages closely related to French, Lorrain was recognized in 1990. It is mainly spoken in Gaume, a part of Belgian Lorraine. Flanders too has a number of dialects, but linguists regard these as varieties of Dutch rather than a separate Flemish language with the exception of Limburgish and West Flemish. The main Dutch dialects in Belgium are Brabantian"
"is: ""Arms: Argent, a lion rampant gules between nine cinquefoils azure. Crest: A royal crown."" The flag shows a red lion together with nine blue cinquefoils on a white field. The colours of the German-speaking Community are white and red in a horizontal position. German-speaking Community of Belgium The German-speaking Community of Belgium ( , DG; ; ) or Eastern Belgium (; ; ) is one of the three federal communities of Belgium. Covering an area of within the province of Liège () in Wallonia, it includes nine of the eleven municipalities of East Cantons (). Traditionally speakers of Low"
"Condrusi The Condrusi were a Germanic tribe of ancient Belgium, which takes its name from the political and ethnic group known to the Romans as the Belgae. The Condrusi were probably located in the region now known as Condroz, named after them, between Liège and Namur. The terrain is wooded hills on the northeastern edge of the Ardennes. The Belgae were distinguished from the Celts and apparently claimed to be of Germanic descent. From Belgic names we know that the Belgae were heavily influenced by the Gaulish language, but from other information we know that they were also heavily influenced"
"Flanders Flanders ( , , ) is the Dutch-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, language, politics and history, and sometimes involving neighbouring countries. The demonym associated with Flanders is Fleming, while the corresponding adjective is Flemish. The official capital of Flanders is Brussels, although the Brussels Capital Region has an independent regional government, and the government of Flanders only oversees the community aspects of Flanders life in Brussels such as (Flemish) culture and education. Flanders, despite not being the"
"French Flemish French Flemish (French Flemish: ""Fransch vlaemsch"", Standard Dutch: ""Frans-Vlaams"", ) is a West Flemish dialect spoken in the north of contemporary France. Place names attest to Flemish having been spoken since the 8th century in the area that was ceded to France in the 17th century and which became known as French Flanders. Its dialect subgroup, called French Flemish, meanwhile, became a minority dialect that survives mainly in Dunkirk (""Duinkerke"" in Dutch/""Duunkerke"" in West Flemish = dune church), Bourbourg (""Broekburg"" in Dutch), Calais (""Kales""), Saint-Omer (""Sint-Omaars"") with an ethnic enclave Haut-Pont (""Haute-Ponte"") known for its predominantly Flemish community"
"Dutch in Belgium The Dutch language used in Belgium can also be referred to as Flemish Dutch (""Vlaams-Nederlands""), Belgian Dutch (""Belgisch-Nederlands"" ), or Southern Dutch (""Zuid-Nederlands""). Dutch is the mother tongue of about 60% of the population in Belgium, or by approximately 6.5 million people.(over 11 million inhabitants). It is the only official language in the Flemish Region (Flanders) (which consists of the provinces of West Flanders, East Flanders, Flemish Brabant, Antwerp, and Limburg) and, in addition to French, the official language in the Brussels. However, in the Brussels Capital Region and in the adjacent Flemish-Brabant municipalities, Dutch was largely"
"of life. Nowadays, the popular nickname ""Gaulois"", ""Gaulish people"", is very often used to mean 'stock French people' to make the difference with the descendants of foreigners in France. Walloons occasionally characterise themselves as ""Celts"", mainly in opposition to the ""Teutonic"" Flemish and ""Latin"" French identities. Others think they are Belgian, that is to say Germano-Celtic people different from the Gaulish-Celtic French. The ethnonym ""Walloon"" derives from a Germanic word meaning ""foreign"", cognate with the words ""Welsh"" and ""Vlach"". The name of Belgium, home country of the Walloon people, is cognate with the Celtic tribal names Belgae and (possibly) the"
"was francised in the 19th and 20th century and is now largely French-speaking. A few municipalities in the Flemish agglomeration of Brussels are now also francised. Municipalities with language facilities on the border with Wallonia are Bever (French: ""Biévène""), Herstappe, Mesen (French: ""Messines""), Ronse (French: ""Renaix""), Spiere-Helkijn (French: ""Espierres-Helchin""), Voeren (French: ""Fourons""). Flemish Region The Flemish Region (, ; ) is one of the three regions of the Kingdom of Belgium—alongside the Walloon Region and the Brussels-Capital Region. Colloquially, it is usually simply referred to as ""Flanders"". It occupies the northern part of Belgium and covers an area of 13,522"
"the Brabantic dialects. It is often called (""in-between-language"" or ""intermediate language"", intermediate between dialects and standard Dutch). Dutch in Belgium The Dutch language used in Belgium can also be referred to as Flemish Dutch (""Vlaams-Nederlands""), Belgian Dutch (""Belgisch-Nederlands"" ), or Southern Dutch (""Zuid-Nederlands""). Dutch is the mother tongue of about 60% of the population in Belgium, or by approximately 6.5 million people.(over 11 million inhabitants). It is the only official language in the Flemish Region (Flanders) (which consists of the provinces of West Flanders, East Flanders, Flemish Brabant, Antwerp, and Limburg) and, in addition to French, the official language in"